2016 Legislative Wrap Up

By Bruce Cohen - April 25, 2016

This is the final status of our 2016 Legislative Agenda:

Noah’s Law passed both the House and the Senate after furious negotiations that lasted to the midnight hour. This is a huge win for everyone in the State of Maryland! Noah’s Law expands the mandatory use of interlocks to those convicted of drunk driving at 0.08 BAC. Previously, it was only mandatory at 0.15 BAC. Other states with this all-offender use of interlock devices have seen a drop in the number of drunk driving fatalities – up to 43 percent! What are interlocks? They are a device that checks the blood alcohol content of a driver before allowing them to start the car.

Three Foot On Every Road went through some changes this year, but unfortunately the compromise language of Move Over and Slow Down did not make it through the Senate Judicial Proceedings, despite passing the House. A major thanks to Delegate Lafferty and Senator Klausmeier for getting the bill through the House and pushing in it in the Senate.

Prohibition on Coal Rolling also did not make it through the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, although the House did pass the bill.

Repeal on Mandatory Bike Lane Use was given an unfavorable report by the House Environment and Transportation Committee.

Must Appear for Negligent Driving did not make it out of the House Judiciary Committee. Currently, if a driver is charged with negligent driving they merely have to pay the fine. This law would make it so the driver would have to appear in court if the collision ended in a fatality.